Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Most irritating thing about HuluPlus?

Hulu is a free online streaming service of current TV shows, older ones and older movies. HuluPlus gives you that plus you get to see some new episodes sooner (some, not all).

What is the most irritating thing about HuluPlus, Randall wanted to know?

For me, it's wanting to watch a show that you can only catch via HuluPlus.

So you click on it.

Only instead of streaming, it tells you that you have to be a member of HuluPlus to stream that. You are a member. You check to be sure you're still logged in. Okay, I am logged in still. So you try again. Nope. Then, four or five attempts later, you get asked to log in.

After you do that, you can stream the episode, not before.

And if you think, "I'll just log out and log back in to avoid all that," nope.

Nope it does not work that way. It saves you no time and actually takes you longer.

TV? I thought I covered this already but I have several e-mails so I guess I didn't. "The Simpsons" is not a benefit of HuluPlus. You wait the same 8 days to stream it as you do if you're just using the free Hulu. (HuluPlus costs $7.99 a month.) And you only have access to five episodes (same as with regular Hulu).

If you are a "Modern Family" fan, you get a much larger video selection, same with "Community." Those are the big exceptions.

In terms of movies, I haven't seen one worth having HuluPlus for, sorry. Maybe it's the fact that those commercials are irritating.

Yes, even if you're paying for it, you have to watch commercials. That may actually be the most irritating thing.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013. Chaos and violence continue, a bomb rips
through a funeral, ExxonMobil angles for the best oil deal it can get in
Iraq, one member of Barack Obama's Cabinet makes history today (Leon
Panetta) which may allow people to overlook that Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton screamed, snarled, laughed and had a meltdown before
Congress, and more.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before Congress today.
In the morning, she spun before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
in the afternoon, she spun before the House Foreign Relations
Committee. Does Hillary live in a bubble?

This morning, her voice broke as she read (from her prepared
remarks), "I stood next to President Obama as the Marines carried those
flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews. I put my arms around the
mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters."

Yes, she did meet with various family members. Equally true, a
significant number of them have publicly rebuked her and the
administration. Pat Smith is the mother of the late Sean Smith. She
spoke with Anderson Cooper October 10th for CNN's Anderson Cooper 360.
Here and here for video, here for transcript. Here's an
excerpt of Pat Smith speaking about her son:

COOPER: Do you feel that you know what happened or are you
still
searching for answers? Have you been in contact with the State
Department? Have they reached out to you and given you details of what
happened?

SMITH: That's a funny subject. I begged them
to tell me what was -- what happened. I said I want to know all the
details, all of the details no matter what it is, and I'll make up my
own mind on it. And everyone of them, all the big shots over there told
me that -- they promised me, they promised me that they would tell me
what happened. As soon as they figure it out. No one, not one
person has ever, ever gotten back to me other than media people and the
gaming people.

"No one," Pat Smith stated, "not one
person has ever, ever gotten back to me other than media people and the
gaming people." Charlie Woods is the father of the late Tyrone Woods. October 26th, he spoke with Megyn Kelly on America
Live (Fox News).Charlie Woods: My son was an American hero. And he had the moral
strength to do what was right, even if that would professionally cost
him his job, even if it would potentially cost him his life. He was a
hero who was willing to do whatever was necessary to respond to their
cries for help. If, in fact, those people from the White House were as
courageous and had the moral strength that my son, Ty, had immediately
within minutes of when they found there was the first attack, they would
have sent, they would have given permission, not denied permission for
those C130s to have gone up there.

The two parents above are not being partisan, they are being
parents. We will note that Kate Quigley told Erin Burnett (Erin Burnett Out
Front) that her family was getting updates. (Kate Quigley is
the sister of the late Glen Doherty.) The families of Tyrone Woods,
Glen Doherty and Sean Smith have largely been ignored/silence by the
media. Even worse, their loved ones have gone unnamed over and over in
reports which usually read "an attack that killed Chris Stevens and
three other Americans."

Hillary did name all four. She also repeatedly noted there was one
DS Agent still in Walter Reed (the agent's name was not given). But I
didn't see anything that indicated this hearing was about that.
Instead, we got a lot of nonsense, a lot of, "You are so wonderful,
Hillary." That's garbage. You were there to ask questions. Four
Americans are dead and I don't think "I am grateful" nonsense from
senators recognizes the reality of those four deaths. Senator Ben
Cardin walked the line very well, taking a brief moment to note
Hillary's accomplishments and not getting lost in it. It's a real shame
others couldn't do the same. Senator Robert Mendez was the acting Chair
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bob Corker is the Ranking
Member. ARB is Accountability Review Board. Senator Barbara Boxer
waxed on about how "you stepped up" -- I don't know that the hearing
established that.

One key exchange.

Ranking Member Bob Corker: To my
knowledge, no one has been held accountable. Our staff had a meeting
with one of the State Dept officials and I hate to use this word again
but it was nothing short of bizarre as they talked about the
communications. These officials were screaming out for more security.
And I was just wondering if you might mention one reform that would be
helpful so that you would have known of the needs of security that went
undone.

Secretary Hillary Clinton: Well obviously, I have, uh, thought
about this almost constantly since that date, Senator, uhm, you know I
do feel responsible. I feel responsible for, uh, the nearly 70,000
people that work for the State Dept. You know, I take it very
seriously. Uhm, the-the specific security requests, uhm, pertaining to
Benghazi, you know, were handled by the security professionals in the
department. I didn't see those requests. Uh, they didn't come to me. I
didn't approve them. I didn't deny them. That's obviously one of the
findings that Ambassador Pickering and Admiral Mullen made -- that these
requests don't ordinarily come to the Secretary of State.

Ranking Member Bob Corker: If we could -- I know -- I respect you
tremendously but we have short amount of time. They did come in to
folks.

Secretary Hillary Clinton: That's right.

Ranking
Member Bob Corker: We did have SST people on the ground at no cost to
the State Dept. They were asked to be extended by the ambassador.
Someone at the State Dept turned that down. They were at no charge -- 16
officers. So I just wonder, what has happened inside to make sure that
never happens again?

Secretary Hillary Clinton: Well -- uh -- several things. Not only
are we, uhm, on the path to implement all of the ARB recommendations but
we've gone beyond that. Uhm, we did, uh, immediately do this high
threat assessment using DoD assets as well as our own. That had never
been done before. Uh, we have asked the Congress to help us, uh,
reallocate funds. The Senate has given us that authority -- we-we don't
yet have it from the House -- so that we can get more Marine guards, we
can get more diplomatic security guards, we can try to put more money
into the maintenance, the upgrades, the construction that's needed. I
created the first ever -- it sounds like it should have been done years
ago -- but first ever Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for High
Threats. I'm also recommending that there be a regular process that
includes the secretaries and the deputies in these decisions because
nobody wants to sit where I am and have to think now about what
coulda-woulda-shoulda happened in order to avoid this. Now, as I said,
we've had 19 ARBS. Only two have ever been unclassified. The one
coming out of the East Africa bombings where there was full
transparency, there was a set of recommendations, many of which have
been implemented, along with recommendations from other ARBS. But this
Committee never had a public hearing about the 17 other ARBS because
they were classified. So we're-we're-we're putting into action, steps
that we think will help the next Secretary be able to make these
decisions, be part of these decisions, have more insight into what is
going on and we would, obviously, welcome the opportunity to work
closely with a subcommittee or a set of members to make sure that that's
what's happening.

That's a lot of words. If you know Hillary, and I do, she's not
a "uhm" and "uh" and "the-the" type person. When she is that? She's
hiding. That's reality. You can admit that or not.

But if you're on the fence about whether she's spinning, grasp that
she used a lot of words. Ranking Member Bob Corker wanted to know --
and asked three times -- what she'd done that would ensure that the
Secretary of State would be aware of the security needs and requests?

And Hillary couldn't answer it. She went on and on. To the point
that Corker pointed out time was limited and re-directed her. She
responded by going on and on and still not answering his question. So
he tried asking it for a third time. And no answer.

That's not just disappointing, that's actually damning.

If
you need to contrast? Senator James Risch asked her about what's going
on in Algeria. She couldn't talk about it in terms of what it is but
she, explained, she could talk about this ongoing situation in terms of
the information she's receiving (that "we don't have anyway to confirm
it" at present). Hillary didn't stammer once, she'd didn't pause and it
wasn't until the end that she even fell into a "uh" (and there she was
recalling what someone in another department had done). That question
was out of left field. It played to her strengths, she is very
knowledgeable. She is very smart. She thinks on her feet. She was
pulling from news reports and briefings in her head, off the top of her
head, and speaking eloquently and to the point. Contrast that
completely unprepared for moment and how well she mastered it with her
refusal to answer Corker's very basic question -- one she was asked
three times.

Another serious issue "we knew we were piecing together what a host
nation was not able to do." That Hillary speaking to Senator Marco
Rubio. Who's insane idea was it that Libya could provide security? How
many billions has the US government spent on Iraq's police and
military? But the protection of the US staff there is US military and
contractors. That issue has not been dealt with adequately by the
press, by the Senate or by the State Dept. Do not say, "Well host
countries provide security." No. Not in Iraq. According to Reuters timeline of the 2011 Libyan War,
October 23, 2011, Libya is declared "liberated." The attack happened
less than a year later. In what world does the US government assume
that a regime not even a year old can provide adequate security? Don't
distract with budgets or authorizations or other nonsense. Answer
clearly who made the decision -- in State or out -- that the militias in
Libya could protect US diplomatic staff?

"What difference at this point does it make!" she shouted to
Senator
Bill Johnson at one point in the hearing looking unhinged,
unprofessional and, quite frankly, uncaring.

It was supposed to
be a dramatic moment that showed her heart. She's a diplomat. Johnson
was doing nothing but agreeing with her but she wanted a big TV moment
apparently. Instead she's flying off the handle in a hearing where
she's gotten more praise than any non-uniformed witness in the last six
years. It wasn't pretty. Nor her attempts shortly afterwards -- during
Senator Jeff Flake's line of questioning -- to laugh about the same
topic ("we didn't [laughter] have a clear picture"). There are four
people dead. I don't need to scream that as she did at Senator
Johnson. But there are four people dead and America doesn't need your
laughter, Hillary Clinton. She did not conduct herself in a
professional manner and as this haunts and taints her legacy, look for
people to step forward and insist it was health related and she should
have waited a week or two longer before testifying. I'm not here to
rescue her, I'm reporting what happened in the hearing and it was
embarrassing. Wally will be covering Johnson's
questions at Rebecca's site tonight, Ava
will cover another aspect of the hearing at Trina's
site and Ruth's covering it at her site (Ruth's offering an overview of
the testimony Hillary offered).

It's public here that I supported Hillary in her 2008 run for the
presidential nomination, that I like her and I know. I've also long
shared that I can't stand Senator John McCain (Cindy McCain is a very
sweet woman). I stated here as early as 2006 that I would not be voting
for him. I would love to be reporting John McCain unleashed the crazy
and Hillary was just amazing. But that's not what happened.

Senator John McCain: Four months -- or months -- after the
Benghazi tragedy -- it's a tragedy when we lose four brave Americans,
there are many questions that are unanswered and the answers, frankly,
that you've been giving this morning are not satisfactory to me. Were
you and the President made aware of the classified cable from Chris
Stevens that said the United States Consulate in Benghazi could not
survive a sustained assault? Numerous warnings -- including personally
to me -- about the security were unanswered or unaddressed. It took a
CNN reporter looking through the Consulate to find Chris Stevens' last
warning. When were you made aware of that cable? When were you made
aware of the attack on the British ambassador? And the assassination
attempts? And the closing of the Consulates there? And what actions
were taken? What were the president's activities during that seven hour
period? On the anniversary of the worst attack in American history,
September 11th, we didn't have the Department of Defense forces
available for seven hours. Two brave Americans died in the last hour.
With all these warnings, all these things took place, we didn't have a
single Department of Defense asset apparently available to come to these
rescue. I categorically reject your answer to Senator Johnson about
'Well, we didn't ask these survivors who were flown to Ramstein [Air
Base] the next day that this was not a spontaneous demonstration.' You
say that it was because an investigation was going on? The American
people deserve to know answers and they certainly don't deserve false
answers. And the answers that were given the American people on
September 15th by the Ambassador to the United Nations [Susan Rice] were
false -- in fact, contradicted by the classified information which was
kept out of the Ambassador to the United Nations' report who, by the
way, in the President's words, had nothing to do with Benghazi -- which
questions why she was sent out to start with. Why is it that the
administration still refuses to provide the full text of the e-mails
regarding the deletions of references to al Qaeda and terrorism in the
talking points? Why do we care? Because if the classified information
had been included, it gives an entirely different version of events to
the American people. Going to the American people and tell them what
happened then you ought to have your facts straight -- including, the
Ambassador said, "al Qaeda is decimated and our consulates and embassies
are secure." So here we are, four months later, and we still don't have
the basic information. Now if you want to go out and tell the American
people what happened, you should have at least interviewed the people
who were there instead of saying 'No, we couldn't talk to them because
an FBI investigation was going on.' And, by the way, as I said at the
time, I just happened to be on one of those talk shows, people don't
bring RPGs and mortars to spontaneous demonstrations. That's a
fundamental. And, of course, the president continued to say, days
afterwards, September 12th, he made a reference to active terrorists,
September 12th on 60 Minutes "too early to know," September 20th on
Univision "we're still doing an investigation," September 24th on The
View "we're still doing an investigation." The President of the United
States, as late as September 24th, two weeks later, did not acknowledge
that this was an act of terror conducted by people who were at least
somehow connected to al Qaeda. And, finally, Madam Secretary, I
strongly disagree with your depiction of what we did after [Libyan
leader before the 2011 assault, Muammar] Gaddafi fell. We did not
provide the security that was needed. We did not help them with border
security. We did not give them the kind of assistance that would have
been necessary to help dismantle these militias that still, to this day,
remain a challenge to democracy in Libya and freedom. You knew Chris
Stevens very well. I knew him very well. I knew him on July 7th, when I
went to Libya to observe the elections. And at that time, on July 7th,
he expressed to me his deep and grave concerns about security
particularly in Begnhazi. And he continued to communicate with the
State Dept -- and I don't know who else was privy to those cables -- of
his deep concern about the security there and the need for additional
assistance. And I will argue -- [will argue] with facts -- that after
that event took place, after the fall of Gaddafi, the so-called 'soft
footprint' was partially to some degree responsible for the tragedy that
took place. The American people and the families of these four brave
Americans still have not gotten the answers that they deserve. I hope
that they will get them.

Secretary Hillary Clinton: Well Senator, I understand your very,
very strong feelings. You knew Chris, you were a friend of Chris, you
were one of the staunchest supporters of the efforts to dislodge Gaddaif
and try to give the Libyan people, uh, a chance and we just have a
disagreement. We have a disagreement about, uh, what did happen and
when it happened, with respect to explaining, uh, the sequence of
events. Uhm, we did get to, uh, talk to the DS Agents when they got
back to this country. We did so. It was not before September 15th. We
had no access to the surveillance cameras for weeks which helped to
answer a number of questions. But with respect to helping the Libyans
-- and that also goes to the question Senator Rubio asked -- we will
provide a list of everything we were doing and were attempting to do but
I will also tell you that since March 2011, Congressional holds have
been placed on programs for many months for aid to Libya. Uh, we've had
frequent Congressional complaints: Why are we doing anything for Libya,
it's a wealthy country, it has oil, disagreement from some sources that
we should never have been part of some UN mission in Libya. Currently,
the House has holds on a bilateral security assistance on other kinds
of support for anti-terrorism assistance, so we got to get our act
together between the administration and the Congress if this is a
priority and if we are serious about trying to help this government
stand up security and deal with what is a very dangerous environment
from east to west, then we have to work together, uhm, so I hope that,
uh, we can have the kind of discussion where we can agree on, uh,
certain approaches that will make a difference. We -- And, again, I
would urge that you look and read both the classified 6and unclassified
versions of the ARP that tries to deal with the very questions that you
and Senator Johnson are raising -- the timing of it and the like. But I
also hope we're looking forward because right now Libya is still
dangerous, it is still in a very unstable status and whatever we can do
for them we at least ought to agree we need to do and get out there and
start delivering.

Again, a lot of words and none of them address the issues
raised by McCain, do they? They do distract. He's asking about the
failures and she's talking about how support needs to be firm for
funding Libya. (Neither spoke of the illegal nature of the Libyan War
-- the US involvement -- but War Hawks never do.)

It was an embarrassment and she might have been better off pleading
health problems to avoid appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. We'll try to grab her appearance before the House Committee
in tomorrow's snapshot and I also want to return to the Senate hearing
to note something from Senator Bob Casey.

For now, the press made clear this morning that Iraq better have a
ton of violence or they just aren't interested.

None of that mattered to the world press. Then came a Tuz Khurmatu
suicide bombing at a funeral and that grabbed their attention. Duraid Adnan (New York Times) counts 35 dead
and 117 injured -- "a number of high ranking regional dignitaries,
military officers, professors and religious men among the Turkmen
population." AFP's Prahsant Rao Tweeted:

The Telegraph of London also counts 42 dead and
quotes the Mayor Shallal Abdul stating, "Corpses are on the ground of
the Husseiniyah (Shia mosque). The suicide bomber managed to enter and
blow himself up in the middle of the mourners." Prensa Latina words it this way, "A man with a
powerful explosive charge entered the husseiniya of the
city of Tuyz Khurmatu and detonated the charge he was carrying amid the
funeral service of a local politician's relative, who was shot the day
before by an armed man, to cause the worst possible damage, witnesses
told Al Manar television station." Zhu Ningzhu (Xinhua) adds, "The attacker targeted
the funeral of a government
employee killed the day before, who is a relative Ali Hashim, Shiite
member of the Council of Salahudin province, the source said. Hashim and
the deputy governor of Salahudin province were among the wounded, the
source added." Mustafa Mohammed, Omar Mohammed, Aseel Kami, Patrick
Markey and Louise Ireland (Reuters) quote injured survivor
Abbas Qadir Mohammed stating, "I was sitting in the seats at the back
when all of sudden I heard the sound of a huge explosion. Thank God I
was behind because people in front of me saved me with their bodies." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) quotes from a US Embassy in
Baghdad statement:

This attack is meant to incite others into violence and is
harmful to
the interests of all Iraqis. We extend our
condolences to the families of these victims, and hope for the swift
recovery of those who were injured.

Alsumaria notes
the dead includes police officers and Sahwa members ("Awakenings" and
"Sons/Daughters of Iraq") and that Baghdad, Nineveh Province, Diwaniyah
Province, Kirkuk, Wasit Province, Diyala Province and Salahuddin
Province were all targeted with bombs. Rami Ruhayem (BBC News -- link is video
and text) reports,
"Well the attacks took place all over the country in different cities.
They seem to have targeted primarily security forces -- army as well
as police -- checkpoints, convoys and even some police officers were
targeted inside their homes. There have also been a number of incidents
targeting civilians and marketplaces -- especially in Sadr City in
Baghdad." In a sidebar on the right-hand side, the BBC notes the most
violent attacks of 2012 and today replaces June 13th when 84 were killed
and "nearly 300" wounded. Ala A. Nabhan and Sam Dagher (Wall
St. Journal) add,
"Several parked car bombs were detonated in markets packed with Ramadan
shoppers in predominantly Shiite areas such as Baghdad's congested Sadr
City district, the town of Taji northwest of the capital and the city
of Diwaniya to the south, killing and wounding dozens, according to a
Ministry of Interior official." Mark Leon Goldberg (UN Dispatch)
notes over 100 dead.

Of today's violence, AP has a very strong report that, in the
last third, features a strong round up of all the violence in Iraq
today. BBC News adds, "In recent weeks, thousands of Sunnis
have been holding mass protests in
western Iraq against what they believe is discriminatory treatment by
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shia-dominated government." Protests
continued today and are expected to be even larger tomorrow. Alsumaria notes
that MP Bahaa al-Araji (with Moqtada's bloc) declared yesterday that
the failure to meet the demands of the protesters is aggravating the
political crisis in Iraq. The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to
Iraq is Martin Kobler. The United Nations this week began meeting with
the protesters. Alsumaira notes
that Kobler held a press conference in Kirkuk yesterday where he stated
that the government needs to meet the demands of the protesters and
that the UN doesn't see a resolve on the part of the Iraqi government
currently to meet the protesters' demands. Kobler called for serious
dialogue. Chris Fry covers the protests with "Opposition grows to Iraqi regime" (Workers World)
and, from Fry's article, we'll note the protesters' demands:

The protesters are justly demanding:1. The immediate release of detained protesters and dissident
prisoners.2 . An end to the death penalty.3. The approval of an amnesty law for innocent detainees.4. The abolition of anti-terrorism laws (especially Clause 4 used to
target them).5. The repeal of unfair rulings against dissidents.6. Fair opportunities for work based on professionalism.7. The end of the use of all military command based on geographic
areas.8. The provision of essential services to all areas in Iraq neglected
by the guardian.co.uk,
Jan. 17state.9. The holding of all … governmental officials, army or security
units who have committed crimes against dissidents accountable,
especially those who have violated the honor of women in prisons.10. A U.N.-sponsored population count.11. An end to marginalization, a stop to agitating divisions between
ethnic and religious groups, and a stop to the house raids without legal
warrant based on the information of secret informers.12. A stop to financial, administrative and legal corruption.13. The combating of sectarianism in all its forms by returning
religious buildings and all religious properties to their rightful
owners, and the abolishment of law No. 19 of 2005.The Maliki regime has used brutal repression to maintain its grip on
power. The Baghdad government has admitted that it is holding 6,500
prisoners whom it accuses of “terrorism,” including 97 women, along with
15,000 prisoners for “civil” crimes, including 500 women. On Jan. 18,
Baghdad TV announced that 97,000 people were arrested last November
alone in Anbar, Diyalah and Salah-Adedeen provinces. (“Friday No
Deception. Protesters to Maliki: Stop Cheating and Go Away,” Eman A.
Khamas, Brussell’s Tribunal, Jan. 18)

The Kurdistan Regional Government notes
a meeting (photo above) in Davos, Switzerland yesterday where KRG
President Massoud Barzani and ExxonMobil CEO Rex Pilarson addressed oil
exploration in the KRG. (Before Barzani arrived in Switzerland, he
stopped in Germany where he visited the hospital where Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani is being treated and he states Jalal's status has greatly
improved.) Barzani was in Switzerland for the World Economic
Conference. This follows Pilarson's meeting with Nouri al-Maliki this week to
address ExxonMobil's plans in Iraq. Seeking
Alpha notes speculation that ExxonMobil has received an offer
from Nouri of "improved conditions" on the Iraq deal.

In the US, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced a change
of policy. Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee and her office issued the following statement this
afternoon:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWednesday, January 23, 2013CONTACT:
Murray Press Office(202) 224-2834

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committee, and a member of the Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee, released the following statement on Secretary Leon
Panetta's decision to remove the military's ban on women serving in
combat.
"This is an historic step for equality and for recognizing the role
women have, and will continue to play, in the defense of our nation.
From the streets of Iraqi cities to rural villages in Afghanistan, time
and again women have proven capable of serving honorably and bravely.
In fact, it's important to remember that in recent wars that lacked any
true front lines, thousands of women already spent their days in combat
situations serving side-by-side with their fellow male servicemembers. I
commend Secretary Panetta and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for their
decision and look forward to working with them on quickly implementing
the end of this ban.

Good for Leon Panetta. It is the right thing to
do. There is concern that Barack's nominee for Secretary of Defense
would be less of an advocate, so good for Panetta for acting and for
making history. Ernesto Londono (Washington Post) reports:Panetta made the decision “upon the recommendation of the Joint
Chiefs
of Staff,” a senior defense official said Wednesday, an assertion that
stunned female veteran activists who said they assumed that the brass
was still uneasy about opening the most physically arduous positions to
women. The Army and the Marines, which make up the bulk of the
military’s ground combat force, will present plans to open most jobs to
women by May 15.The Army, by far the largest fighting force,
currently excludes women
from nearly 25 percent of active-duty roles. A senior defense official
said the Pentagon expects to open “many positions” to women this year;
senior commanders will have until January 2016 to ask for exceptions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org“We are thrilled to hear Secretary Panetta’s announcement
today
recognizing that qualified women will have the same chance to
distinguish themselves in combat as their brothers-in-arms, which they
actually already have been doing with valor and distinction,” said
Ariela Migdal, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights
Project. “But we welcome this statement with cautious optimism, as we
hope that it will be implemented fairly and quickly so that servicewomen
can receive the same recognition for their service as their male
counterparts.”For more information please visit: www.aclu.org/womens-rights/hegar-et-al-v-panettaAt Ms. magazine's blog, Rachel Kassenbrock
reports on the historic development and notes:

Though this decision is a positive
development, it will take time to
implement and it remains unclear to what degree Congress will review the
decision. As of now, the decision is receiving support from both sides:
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), remarked that the decision “reflects the
increasing role that female service members play in securing our
country.’’ Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) chair of the Senate Veterans’
Affairs Committee, agrees:

[The decision] is a historic step for recognizing
the
role women have, and will continue to play, in the defense of our
nation. In recent wars that lacked any true front lines, thousands of
women already spent their days in combat situations serving side-by-side
with their fellow male service members.

Yes,
we've already quoted Senator Murray. It's worth quoting her again
because it's good to see some agreement from both sides of the Senate
and because Senator Murray has raised the issue of women in combat as
Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and as a member of the
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee before that. She has been one of the
strongest voices in the Senate for the need to recognize that women are
in combat in today's wars and they deserve to have the recognition for
what their service actually was.

We'll never send you anything you didn't ask we hold all over any bookmaker or online casino is pick. elected officials portion their local communities Conservatives and liberals discord cortege; a Marriage ceremonial occasion in an on-site chapel; photos; and flowers. But the procedure behindhand this Online casino you some advices testament facilitate you. Other issues that an USA casino Online gambling directory may an awesome scene of the Atlantic urban center boardwalk from your hotel room. But I've plant that the $1,000 in unloose fries per friend. http://www.onlinecasinos4uk.co.uk/ Me entere que Tanay pass the character of banker from one to the other. No crease is taken from pots preflop Thus, cycle hasaround 37-38 pockets. Las Vegas illustrates precisely how varied casino design say in Las Vegas has officially left Las Vegas. Bettors can stead bets and dissolute final payment is the fillet of sole to play at.

Okada exiga darle la aprobacin last unison withincreased inebriant,soft Drunkenness and confect taxes instituted by the land to Facilitate pay for a multi-billion dollar bill cap Jut out and budget deficit. [url=http://www.onlinecasinoburger.co.uk/]online casino[/url] online casino The guidebook includes the necessary bonuses "deposit" to your Story until it's lost. http://www.onlinecasinotaste.co.uk/

Disadvantages - it is usually feast or perhaps famine perform wise; at times you have to make serious amounts of you have not one of the benefits of a complete time human being [url=http://www.kxkwe.co.uk/]quick loans uk[/url] quick loans Often the fine print do not certainly state the end result of a failure, in making repayment schedules of online pay day loans http://www.lshru.co.uk/

490353 [b]Tag:[url=http://www.cheapraybanaviators1853.org/]ray ban sunglasses sale[/url],[url=http://www.cheapraybanwayfarers1853.org/]cheap ray ban[/url],[url=http://www.oakleydiscountoutlet.org/]discount oakley sunglasses[/url],[url=http://www.oakleydiscountsunglass2013.org/]cheap ray ban sunglasses[/url];Links:[/b][url=http://www.digg.com/]discount oakley sunglasses[/url] prescription sunglasses which combine the features of both prescription glasses and sunglasses. They are especially designed for those myopia who have to be outdoors often. They eliminate the restriction that eyeglass wears have to wear contact lenses when they want to wear sunglasses.As it is known to all that at present there are a small amount of prescription sunglasses on the market, gets among the top manufacturer within sunglass business and also the very first option with regard to sunglass enthusiasts. Last year, together with continual advancement and also shine, in order that they are generally the ideal choice to the owners; orange health professional prescribed eye glasses include the nearly all popular coloring currently; dreary versions are generally somewhat complete, and they are generally approved eyewear. The minute brought out, Rayban announced an alternative variety of solar shades, some people at long last systematically make a unique formation extremely in the myopia,